by ANALYSIS
In the days preceding Thursday’s MLB trade deadline, Craig Breslow made all the proper statements.
With more than 50 games remaining in the regular season, securing a postseason berth for the first time since 2021 was by no means a given.
However, a 2025 Red Sox team that was already displaying a great deal of resilience and was full of youthful potential appeared set for some much-needed additions.
Breslow stated that we must eventually put the turn signal on and cease using the dumb analogies.last week’s Boston Globe.Over the past few months, we have played some excellent baseball. We have placed ourselves in a position where we will try to make the team better. We would prefer to be there.
Everyone who accepts this position, in my opinion, does so with the intention of joining a team where they can contribute and where it is the appropriate choice. It goes without saying that we must consider the future. In an ideal scenario, we could enhance not only our 2024 squad but also our 25th and beyond. That’s what I do. However, I believe that we are currently searching for methods to make the club better.
Over the past two days, the Red Sox have done just that.
After injuries to Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Hunter Dobbins left the back half of Boston’s starting rotation in ruins, the Red Sox decided to take a chance on Dustin May, a former top arm for the Dodgers.
Less than twelve hours prior, the Red Sox selected veteran Steven Matz from the Cardinals to add another lefty to their bullpen.
As of right now, the Red Sox are a stronger club than they were a few days ago.
However, given that a number of other teams in a wide-open playoff race did considerably better during the trade-deadline feeding frenzy, that statement certainly seems hollow to a weary fan base on Thursday.
For a team that is frantically trying to return to October baseball, Boston may be better, but not quite enough to make a difference.
On Thursday, Breslow stated, “We pursued a number of really impact opportunities.” Not all of them work out, of course, but it wasn’t because they weren’t trying to be as forceful as they could be or because they didn’t want to become uncomfortable. In the end, though, two teams must align for those transactions to occur.
This has nothing to do with a reluctance to include men or anything similar. For it to happen, teams must like our athletes. We entered this deadline with the belief that we couldn’t exclude our best minor league players from consideration if we were to achieve our goals. We didn’t enter this with untouchables because we couldn’t. We were prepared to discuss all of our players in order to strengthen the team. Simply said, it didn’t work.
Red Sox supporters who were hoping Boston would land a big fish at the trade deadline for the first time in more than four years won’t be all that comforted by Breslow’s frank remarks.
A summer when the AL pennant appears to be up for grabs would seem to be the ideal time for the Red Sox to put their best foot forward in the hopes of acquiring a game-changing player.
Boston currently has exclusive ownership of the second AL Wild Card berth with a record of 59-51, despite the fact that Alex Cora’s team has had a turbulent season at times.
The Tigers and Blue Jays have the best record in the AL at 64-46, while the New York Yankees are only 1.5 games ahead of Boston and occupy the top AL Wild Card slot.
The Red Sox are by no means a flawless squad. However, Boston could have orchestrated yet another long run this autumn with just a power hitter and/or a No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, especially since the AL lacks a true juggernaut.
Rather, the Red Sox opted for two rentals in May and Matz, two players who don’t precisely address the roster’s obvious shortcomings but are by no means net positives.
The health of the trade market was unaffected by Boston’s failure to close deals on Thursday.
Boston saw a slight improvement in their standings, but numerous teams around them did not see the same improvement.
Along with a great defensive infielder in Jose Caballero, the Yankees recruited a number of impact relievers, including David Bednar, Camilo Duval, and Jake Bird.
The Mariners and Rangers, the two teams trailing the Red Sox in the Wild Card race? The Rangers outbid Boston for righty starter Merrill Kelly, and Seattle strengthened their lineup with two significant acquisitions in Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor.
According to Breslow’s remarks, the Red Sox weren’t unable to sign talent because they didn’t attempt.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox also made a move for Suarez, the best bat available on the trade market, with the goal of shifting him to first base. Boston was allegedly in negotiations for Kelly prior to the Rangers’ agreement.
The last minutes before the deadline saw Boston see Joe Ryan, a veteran top-of-the-rotation arm under team control through the conclusion of the 2027 season, as a major target. Nevertheless, the Red Sox were unable to complete a trade.
Even if it would be thrilling to imagine Suarez smashing pitches over the Green Monster or Ryan playing a powerful 1-2 punch with Crochet come fall, the exercise is only as fruitful as Breslow’s constant insistence that Boston wants to arrange those transactions.
When it comes to closing transactions before the trade deadline, it is true that cooperation is required.
However, the Red Sox’s apparent willingness to settle for safer outcomes rather than becoming uncomfortable with high asking prices is a frustrating course of action, especially since Boston still has an excellent farm system that includes players like Roman Anthony and several intriguing big-league assets like Jarren Duran.
In December, the Red Sox made a painful trade by sending an ace in Crochet for two of their best prospects, Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery.
The Red Sox might have lost out on a number of elite prospects, including Franklin Arias, Payton Tolle, and even a blue-chipper like Kristian Campbell, if they had been able to acquire Ryan from the Twins.
However, with younger players like Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and others already contributing at the major league level, Ryan would have been a missing component for a Red Sox squad that would have been ready to compete in 2025 and the years to come.
Instead, without significant additions on the horizon, the Red Sox and Cora, who has been outspoken about Boston’s failure to improve at the trade deadline in recent years, will have to continue to push forward.
With a 21-14 record after the startling Rafael Devers trade, Boston’s players have contributed enough to merit some second-half reinforcements.
During yet another disappointing trade deadline, Boston’s clubhouse and a fan base that longs for October baseball are instead left with meaningless platitudes about what might have been.
Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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